We commonly read or hear the words like organic food and hybrid food. What does they mean? Organic food involves growing of crops without the use of synthetic pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and bioengineering methods. For instance, antibiotic free or hormone free animals can be used to produce organic meat. Incontrast hybrid foof involves the use of synthetic fertilizers and synthetic pesticides to grow the crops . Many consumers percieve organic food to ne healthier that hybrid or non-organic food. Eventhough organic food is expensive the demand for organic food is increasing worldwide.
Let us understand the key differences between organic farming and conventional farming (produces hybrid food)
Organic farming involves natural fertilizers like manure to feed plants and most of the time spray natural pesticides to kill the weeds and insects. Incontrast, conventional farming uses chemical fertilizers to promote the plant growth and sprays synthetic pesticides to destroy weeds. In case of animals, organic farming uses organic food to feed the animals while conventional farming make use of antibiotics, growth hormones and other medicines to prevent animal diseases.
There ar some myths associated with organic food. For instances, consumers assume that organic food are pesticide free. However organically grown crops may come in contact with chemicals due to rainwater and wind draft. Also farmers may need to use synthetic pesticides to control the crop weeds and other insects.
According to USDA there is no clear evidence that shows that organic crops are safer and healthier than than those grown in conventional manner. The certain food are considered as organic only if atleast 95% of the ingredients are organic. But still consumers prefer organic food over conventional food. why? because of some other considerations like organic food carries fewer pesticides than the conventional farm produce food. Organic farming also restrict the use of food addictives, preservatives and artificial coloring agents which are comonly used in conventional methods of produce.
Some tips of food safety:
1) Always wash the fruits and vegetables thoroughly because washing helps to reduce the pesticides and other harmful chemical intake.
2) Peeling of fruit skin helps to avoid greater extend of pesticieds howere there is significant amount of vitamin, mineral and fiber lose.
3) Buy the fresh produced and newly arrived fruits and vegetables.